Larry Hovis
Larry Hovis (February 20, 1936 - September 9, 2003) was an American actor best remembered for playing a prisoner of war on the television show Hogan's Heroes. Biography Hovis was born in Wapato, Washington and as a child, moved with his family to Houston, Texas. As a youth, he started out as a singer, appearing on the television show, Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts as a member of a singing quartet, the Mascots. He graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in philosophy. During the 1950s, he sang in nightclubs, attempted to become a songwriter signing a contract with Capitol Records and releasing one album. He also appeared in several local theater productions. He moved to New York City in 1959, appearing in several Broadway revue shows which highlighted his singing and comedy talents. In 1963, Hovis moved to California where he performed stand-up comedy and tried to break into television. A year later, he was discovered by Andy Griffith's manager and the next year appeared in several episodes of The Andy Griffith Show's spinoff Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. as "Pvt. Larry Gotschalk", as well as appearing in The Andy Griffith Show. In 1965, he was given a minor role in the pilot episode of Hogan's Heroes. After two other actors had backed out of the series after it was picked up, Larry became a permanent member of the cast as the demolition man, "Sgt. Andrew Carter". While appearing on that popular series, Hovis wrote the 1966 film spy-spoof, Out of Sight. He also wrote for and appeared in Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. After the cancellation of both Hogan's Heroes and Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Hovis made guest appearances on such shows as The Doris Day Show, Adam-12, Chico and the Man, Alice and Holmes and Yoyo. He also appeared in the theater version of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and starred in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. He produced and appeared in the mid-1970s game show, Liar's Club, as well as help to produce several others. On the Hogan's Heroes series, his character, Sgt. Carter, was suppose to be a Sioux; in reality, Hovis was a member of the Yakima nation. In one TV show, Alice, he played a Native American detective who arrests a fake Native American. Hovis appeared in the film Shadow Force in 1993. His last film was the 2002 film, Lonestar State of Mind where he played a doctor. Beginning in 1990, he taught drama at Texas State University-San Marcos in San Marcos, Texas. He died in Austin, Texas of esophageal cancer. Filmography * Lone Star State of Mind (2002) * Yorick (2002) * Shadow Force (1993) * Another Pair of Aces: Three of a Kind (1991) (TV) * Yahtzee (1988) (TV) * Sex and the Married Woman (1977) (TV) * The New Daughters of Joshua Cabe (1976) (TV) * Liar's Club (1976) (TV) * Wild in the Sky (1972) * Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1968) (TV) * The Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In Pilot Special (1967) (TV) * Hogan's Heroes (1965) (TV) * Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (1964) (TV) Notable Television Guest Appearances Producer and Writer External Links * http://www.larryhovis.net/index.php (Fan website) * http://www.grooviespad.com/stalag13/index.htm * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Hovis (Biography) *Larry Hovis at the Internet Movie Database Hovis, LarryHovis, LarryHovis, LarryHovis, LarryHovis, LarryHovis, Larry